Sunday Igboho files $1m lawsuit against Benin Republic for unlawful detention in Ecowas court

YORUBA Nation campaigner Chief Sunday Adeyemo has filed a $1m lawsuit against the government of the Republic of Benin in the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) Community Court of Justice for illegal detention.

On July 1, men of the Nigerian Department of State Security (DSS) raided Mr Adeyemo's Ibadan home, killing two of his aides and arresting 13 others. Although Mr Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho managed to escape, his home was turned inside out with the DSS seizing items including his international passport, claiming he was stockpiling weapons.

Subsequently, Mr Igboho fled to the Republic of Benin and was arrested at Cotonou airport on July 18 while trying to board a plane to Germany. Since then, the Nigerian authorities have been pressure on their Beninoise counterparts to get him deported but as no formal charges have been presented in court, all Benin Republic has dome is keep Mr Igboho in detention.

Following the recent decision by the Beninoise authorities to extend Mr Igboho's detention for another six months, he has asked his lawyers to sue then for general damages for each day he has spent incarcerated. Tosin Ojaomo, Mr Igboho's lawyer, also asked for a declaration of court that Benin’s actions regarding this unlawful, arbitrary arrest and detention, violated Mr Igboho's freedom of movement, his right to an unbiased trial within a reasonable time and violated his right to dignity as a person.

In the application dated February 10, 2022, Mr Ojaomo sought for an order for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Igboho along with his Nigerian passport, pending litigation and determination on damages. On September 17, 2021, the Oyo State High Court ruled in affirmation of Chief Adeyemo’s right to political activity in pursuit of self-determination for the Yoruba people and ordered that he be paid N20bn as damages for the raid on his home.